In Pictures: Total Defence Day at Deyi Secondary School

Join Han En Sha as she tastes army rations, tries camouflage face painting, carries rifles and even meets with a veteran of the Singapore Army. Deyi Secondary School planned this awesome activity on Total Defence Day for students to appreciate the soldiers who protect our country!

To the Sons of Singapore from Bravo Company, 35 SCE, thank you for sharing a bit of your lives with our students!

Putting her game face on, En Sha, a secondary three student at Deyi Secondary School, tries camouflage paint.

Wow…this is really green. I wonder if it will wash off?

Do you know why soldiers paint black and green stripes? It’s because the pattern mimics tree branches when they tilt their heads to aim their rifles.

The men were proud that a female student was willing to try the camouflage paint on her face.

Camouflage paint is made of vegetable oil.  I found out that soldiers wear it during their outfield operations which often lasts for 3 to 5 days (during a war, they have to wear it all the time). They even sleep with it!

It’s tougher to wash off than I expected.

Learning to hold and aim the Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR21). That seems easy enough…

As you can tell, it was NOT easy. I had trouble even holding up the 4kg weapon!

This arm control position definitely works better for me. 

What? This General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is 11kg!

Look! I can do it!

Just kidding…

On to the signals booth, I tested the equipment which allows troops to communicate across distances of 500m to 2km.

Attempting to prepare a field pack. Let’s see, I need a uniform, towel, jacket, toiletries, rifle cleaning kit…but what’s this? A burlap bag?

Ahh…I found out that these are filled with sand so that soldiers can use them to support their rifles when defending their base.

My field pack is not that heavy!

Now he tells me that my field pack has only the basic items and that there are many other things they usually bring. I don’t think I can handle more than this.

This is my favourite part – trying army rations. Look at the variety on the menu! 

These are some of the items usually found in a ration pack. There are meals, drinks, snacks, fuel and matches, and even dessert (look carefully to spot it)!

The field rations provide 3,350 Kcal for soldiers who undergo vigourous training.

Unlike how they would usually consume rations outfield, the soldiers specially warmed up the food and served it in small tasting cups for the students. 

Wow, doesn’t it look gourmet?

I found that the rations tasted pretty good! The soldiers I spoke to also shared that the rations taste better than they expected before joining the army.

A veteran of The Singapore Army, Maj (Rtd) M.E. Sheares, shared about Singapore’s Defence in the early years.

“If we didn’t have such a defence, you and I will be singing a different national anthem, and possibly speaking another language,” he said.

“We have the responsibility to ensure our little red dot is well defended. There is no other way,” said Mr Sheares with great passion, “Make sure that history does not repeat.”

May the lessons of the past inspire the generation of the future.